Rezo nabs ‘Acne’

Film screens in Directors' Fortnight

Federico Veiroj’s adolescent angst drama “Acne,” from the producers of “Whisky” and “El custodio,” has been picked up for international distribution by Rezo Films.

Screening in Directors’ Fortnight, “Acne” is the latest fruit of a South American powerhouse production partnership between Fernando Epstein’s Control Z in Montevideo and Hernan Musaluppi’s Rizoma Films in Buenos Aires.

In what Musaluppi has dubbed “a mutual affection pact,” Control Z and Rizoma co-produced “El custodio,” “Dog Pound” and, most notably, Juan Pablo Rebella and Pablo Stoll’s “Whisky,” which took the Regard Original jury prize and Fipresci critics’ kudos at Un Certain Regard in 2004.

“Acne” was also produced by Stefan Schmitz’s Avalon Prods. in Madrid and Mexico’s Goliat Prods.

Veiroj’s feature debut, “Acne” turns on 13-year-old Rafael and his agenda: to kiss the class beauty Nicole, although he labors under the multiple pressures of adolescence, his parents’ divorce and his face, which he thinks is a pimple pizza.

“This is much more than an average coming-of-age film. There’s more to it. It’s target is 30-plus,” said Rezo’s head of international sales, Sebastien Cherneau.